The History

Rating:
Summary: Try another translation
Review: Herodotus is great. Don't look to him for accurate facts and figures, which a lot of people expect out of a history these days, because I doubt he was truly concerned with how many Persians there were exactly but rather with illustrating a point about the nature of the Persian regime. So when you run across the footnotes poking fun at him for his "inaccuracies," "mistakes," etc, just skip over them as it's really not relevant. Grene's translation is better than I could do yet, but I'm sure there are better ones out there closer to the original in spirit. I haven't read any others though, so I may be wrong.

Rating:
Summary: A great history in a so-so translation
Review: I give Herodotus five stars, but Grene would get less for his translation. As one reviewer has already stated, Grene's attempt to put this massive work into modern language has some jarring effects. I can't remember any other historical work that actually uses the F word. It reduces the importance of this book, which is the first significant historical work ever written.

The History is an encyclopedic account of the known world in the 5th century before Christ (or Common Era for you secularists). The reader not only gets a detailed account of the hostilities between Greek and Persian, but also is introduced to in-depth accounts of the various peoples and tribes that inhabit the Near East and Mediterranean region. Drawbacks to Herodotus as a historian is his tendency to exaggerate figures, such as claiming that the Persian forces invading Greece numbered in the millions (at a time when armies rarely numbered over 100,000). Herodotus also has a tendency to tell a story and situation and then say something like, "But I won't go into the reasons for that happening." This makes modern historians cringe! But this is also an example of modern historians trying to instill their views back into history. Let's be glad Herodotus did what he did. A must for ANY student of history.

Rating:
Summary: Try another translation
Review: I had the honor of meeting Professor Grene in his office at the University of Chicago. I was like a boy in a candy store. After spending about 15 minutes with this man, I could see how he was able to take this ancient work and bring it to the a level that made it very interesting reading. Regardless of what his critics may say, Professor Grene has brought us a historical work translated in such a way that will continue to attract new students of Ancient History. I continue to re-read his book not only for its content but also for the chance to see his autograph at the beginning.

Rating:
Summary: Meeting David Grene!
Review: I had the honor of meeting Professor Grene in his office at the University of Chicago. I was like a boy in a candy store. After spending about 15 minutes with this man, I could see how he was able to take this ancient work and bring it to the a level that made it very interesting reading. Regardless of what his critics may say, Professor Grene has brought us a historical work translated in such a way that will continue to attract new students of Ancient History. I continue to re-read his book not only for its content but also for the chance to see his autograph at the beginning.

Rating:
Summary: A great history in a so-so translation
Review: In an attempt to make up the deficiencies of my education, I am currently studying Greek history. This book was wonderful! The translator did an excellent job. The translation is not into what I would consider modern English. It is readable, but not slangy or crude as much of modern speech is. The rabbit trails Herodotus goes on make the History soooo interesting. Plus every now and then, the reader feels like he is absolutely face to face with Herodotus. It's an eerie but joyful feeling to share a common humanity with some dead guy from the 5th century BC. Even non-intellectual, don't really like history types should read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Eyewitness and fabulist in one
Review: Yes, Grene's translation contains anachronistic modernisms, as M.J. Lucero points out. These will bother some readers, but need not interfere with the pleasure that this immensely informative and entertaining book will bring to others. The History is not only filled with wonderful stories that will astound, appall, and delight you, it offers a panorama of the cultures and values of the sixth and fifth century eastern Mediterranean (chiefly Greece, Egypt, and Persia). In addition to accounts of historic individuals and events, there is a wealth of detail about such topics as art, weaving, food, sex, money, marriage and funerary customs, sacrifice, cannibalism, international diplomacy, perceptions of time, and Herodotus's earnest if often off-the-mark descriptions of natural history and geography (which Grene helpfully clarifies in footnotes and endnotes). Oracles and dreams play such a frequent role in political events that it's evident how much more integrated these people were into their view of the cosmos than would be the case later, after the sense of individual autonomy that was just taking hold in Herodotus's time became more universal. Even so, these players are brought alive with vivid personalities that encompass all the human traits, from love and lust to anger, pride, compassion, grief, greed, and madness -- the scope ranges from epic to intimate. Grene has also successfully retained some of the flavor of Herodotus's Ionian Greek, with its occasional eccentric locutions and phrase repetitions, adding to the book's charm. Altogether, a rewarding read.